Countrywide, the UK’s largest letting agent, said 50,480 people wanting to rent a property registered with it during the three months to the end of June, the highest level it has recorded since it started collecting the data in 2003. June saw the biggest spike in demand with more than 18,000 new tenants registering for rented accommodation, the highest number ever recorded during a single month and 22pc more than in May. [Even during the World Cup!] But the increase in the number of people looking to rent a home contrasted with a 6pc fall in the number of properties being made available to let during the period.